The Foundation Fighting Blindness and Dr. H. James and Carole Free Collaborate to Combat AMD

The Foundation Fighting Blindness has announced the launch of The Free Family AMD Research Program, which is providing funding for 10 research projects over five years for the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) therapies. With an anchor investment from Dr. H. James & Carole Free, along with matching funds from the Foundation Fighting Blindness, this exciting program will begin in July 2019. In addition to the new research being made possible by The Free Family AMD Research Program, the Foundation is also funding an additional $3.5 million for 11 other AMD research projects. AMD affects more than 10 million people in the U.S. and approximately 150 million people worldwide. Advanced cases of the retinal disease can cause devastating central vision loss, leaving people unable to read, drive, and recognize faces. AMD is the leading cause of blindness for people over 50 years of age in developed countries. “We are thrilled to continue to deepen our partnership with Dr. Free and his wife Carole. Building upon our collaboration that began in 2017, this significantly boosts our ability to drive sight-saving research,” said Benjamin Yerxa, PhD, chief executive officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness. “Though we have some treatments for the wet form of AMD, there are no therapies for the dry form nor are there any preventions. We strive for the day when no one ever loses any vision to AMD.” “AMD hits very close to our family’s heart as well as millions of families around the world. Our hope is to find real therapies and real preventions for this terrible disease. We are thankful to join forces with focused and competent partners like the Foundation Fighting Blindness; sourcing the best research projects and equipping key investigators to tackle this problem,” said Dr. H. James Free. “We are hopeful that our efforts and partnership with the Foundation will result in breakthroughs that we can all celebrate together.” The new program is not the first collaboration between the Free Family and the Foundation. The Free Family currently supports Paul Bernstein, MD, PhD, a Foundation-funded researcher at the University of Utah, who is investigating lipids known as very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) for the treatment of AMD. In addition, the Free Family previously supported John Ash, PhD, at the University of Florida, a Foundation-funded investigator, who is developing a gene therapy to preserve vision for a broad spectrum of retinal diseases. Image description (at top): A fundus photo of the retina captured during a routine exam. The retina appears as a bright orange disk. The numerous yellow flecks are drusen, deposits of fats and proteins, which are the hallmark of dry AMD. Photo is courtesy of NEI.
 

https://www.lvcenter4sight.com/the-foundation-fighting-blindness-and-dr-h-james-and-carole-free-collaborate-to-combat-amd/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Spy a Stye in Your Eye

Image
Written by Dr. David Evans Last modified on August 6, 2018 What’s that small, red, pimple-like bump on your eyelid that’s causing so much discomfort? It’s probably a stye (sometimes referred to as a sty or hordeolum). Besides being difficult to say 5 times quickly, an eye stye is a type of localized infection that can occur along the base of your eyelashes or underneath your eyelid. Styes that form along the base of the eyelashes are called external styes. They typically occur as a result of an infected eyelash hair follicle and look like the type of pimple that occurs when your pores are clogged with dirt and oil. Styes that form inside the eyelid are called internal styes. Similar to external styes, they are caused by an infection of an oil-producing gland behind the eyelid rather than an eyelash hair follicle. Internal styes result in generalized swelling of the eyelid rather than forming a pimple-like bump. Stye Symptoms As a stye develops, you might begin to experience pain
Read more

Post-LASIK Refraction and Pregnancy – Much Ado About Nothing?

Image
Written by Dr. David Evans Last modified on August 23, 2018 During pregnancy, women experience a drastic shift in their hormonal balance that has a ripple effect throughout the body. The spike in hormones like progesterone, estrogen, prolactin, oxytocin and relaxin are all important for a healthy pregnancy, but these increased levels can also impact gastrointestinal processes, blood pressure, skin pigmentation and, you guessed it, ocular health. Due to refractive changes that often occur during pregnancy, most refractive surgeons advise against LASIK during pregnancy, instead suggesting women wait several months after giving birth before considering treatment. Women who have already undergone LASIK may then wonder if the changes in ocular health that can occur during and after pregnancy impact post-LASIK refraction. New research presented by John Kanellopoulos, MD, New York University Medical School, NY, and LaserVision.gr seems to throw cold water on any such concern. The Eyes an
Read more